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DVCon Europe Blog

Behind the Curtain at the DVCon Europe Exhibition

Published on Wednesday, September 13th, 2017

Dave KelfExhibit/Promotions Chair

DVCon Europe is known as a source of practical insight into electronic design techniques and methods. Past attendees are aware that the unusually large number of tutorials for a conference of this size, together with a range of interesting papers, as well as keynotes and panels, offer all kinds of valuable information that can improve their skills and knowledge. What is less apparent is the technical wealth of data provided in the exhibition.

Many conferences see the exhibition as a forum for new product demonstrations and sales. DVCon Europe has an element of that, of course, but this exhibition is far more tailored to European needs and sensibilities. As such, it offers technical detail with a far greater depth and long-term perspective than the more commercial Design Automation Conference exhibition or the shorter horizon, technical focus of DVCon US. The exhibition is a key part of the DVCon Europe experience and should not be missed!

It has been an observation of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) companies that the European engineers think long term, that they dig into technology advancements and often come up with new and unique ways of using tools that even the vendors hadn’t envisaged. As such, the exhibition has become a forum for the discussion of design and verification methodologies that incorporate the shiny new tools on offer. Indeed, it is these discussions that lead to intriguing results for exhibitors and attendees alike.

DVCon Europe is known to attract leading engineers and specialists. The exhibitors therefore send their top experts to confer with the attendees. As such, the exhibition represents a rare opportunity to ask questions and discuss ideas with these experts, potentially influencing the direction of many of the vendor’s product plans. In addition, exhibitor experts can talk about their reasoning on many subjects, adding insight into development flows and methodology ideas.

The Big 3 EDA companies, Cadence, Mentor, a Siemens Company, and Synopsys, have a strong presence at the conference, both in the exhibit and other sponsorships. Expect to see discussions on up and coming standards such as Portable Stimulus, and how it might be applied, as well as old favorites such as UVM and the best way of working with this standard. Mixed Signal, SystemC and others will all be on show. All of the large EDA companies have been strong supporters of the conference, planning announcements around the show that particularly apply to the Europeans.

ARM will be exhibiting at the show for the first time. ARM has been extending their reach into the server market, safety critical devices and other areas, and sees value in DVCon Europe and the people that come to the conference. Their exhibit is sure to be a star attraction, given the latest tooling and technology they will be showing.

The same is true of Mathworks, another favorite of the European market. This DSP centric exhibition always commands a lot of interest from many of the attendees, and this year they are sure to be debuting their Machine Learning methodologies and technologies, as well as their solutions for automotive and other DSP applications.

The show always attracts a number of consulting companies, each with their own angle on useful services. They collectively offer expertise on UVM, SystemC, AMS and multiple other techniques, and their experts are able to provide on the spot advice and help. Doulos, AMIQ and others are well-respected European companies that center their businesses around local concerns, although they operate worldwide. All have clever ideas on how to apply EDA technology into practical flows (e.g. UVM-Lite), and are willing to get into in-depth discussions about this.

Of course a solid group of smaller EDA companies will also be exhibiting their latest technology. For example, Aldec, Avery, Blue Pearl, Magillem, OneSpin (disclosure, the author’s company), and Real Intent will all be at the show, demonstrating new techniques and tools. These are the companies driving the next generation of EDA technologies that also have a significant European presence. Many are involved with the companies that attend the show, and as such are important stops on the path for the attendees. Expect discussion around automotive and other safety critical verification solutions, verification flows and IP in general, and design specification.

For the exhibitors themselves, DVCon Europe is the one location where leading engineers with a keen interest in EDA tools and methodology all gather in a single location. There is no better opportunity to meet up and demonstrate your technology to the people that matter in Europe. If you are looking to expand into Europe, this is your first step. This year there will be receptions and other activities on the exhibit floor, further encouraging participation in this part of the show.

So enjoy your trip to Munich and don't forget one of the key parts of this conference, a hotbed of new technology and ideas that should not be missed.